Weekend Plug-in 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com.

(ANALYSIS) Good morning, Weekend Plug-in readers!

For today’s special year-end edition, I asked some of the nation’s top religion journalists to share their favorite or most important story they produced during 2023.

It’s a holiday week, so I didn’t catch up with everybody. But once again this year, I sure appreciate my Godbeat colleagues who responded — more than 60 in all.

Feel free to jump straight to the list, but I can’t resist a few quick notes:

• I’m wrapping up four years since launching Plug-in. This column/newsletter goes to more than 10,000 subscribers via email before it’s published on the ReligionUnplugged.com homepage. I’m so grateful for everyone who reads and shares Plug-in. Our goal is to provide the best roundup of religion news anywhere.

• I follow religion news and save interesting links throughout the week, but I typically write Plug-in early Friday morning. In other words, it’s a deadline labor of love with the typos to prove it. This part-time gig helps me stay on top of news and trends in the world of faith, but my full-time job is serving as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. In 2023, I was blessed to report from a dozen states and four countries (Australia, Cuba, Mexico and Vanuatu). My story from Down Under will publish early next year.

• I’ve spent 33 years in full-time journalism, including nearly a quarter-century focused on religion news (starting with Pope John Paul II’s visit to St. Louis in 1999). I’m inspired by longtime Godbeat pros — such as Adelle M. Banks, Michelle Boorstein, Greg Garrison, Carla Hinton, Frank Lockwood, Terry Mattingly, Bob Smietana, Peter Smith and Peggy Fletcher Stack — who keep producing amazing journalism year after year. And those are just the ones I managed to reach this week. Besides the old-timers, I’m excited about the newcomers — including Joy Ashford and Eric Killelea — covering religion.

• Many of the journalists who shared links found it difficult to pick just one. Several submitted multiple possibilities and asked me to choose, which I was happy to do. Menachem Wecker wins the award for most stories shared with 10. I included two links from only one writer, Clemente Lisi. He is ReligionUnplugged.com’s executive editor and the boss, after all! One Godbeat pro who had no difficulty with her pick was Sarah Pulliam Bailey. The former award-winning religion writer for the Washington Post is “taking a pause to hang out with my girls.” Thus, she quipped, “I wrote exactly one story so I guess this would be it!”

• A confession before we get to the list: I started this year-end approach a few years ago as a way to do a quick, easy post during the holidays. What in the world was I thinking? The reality is that this takes much longer than a normal Plug-in, but that’s OK. I truly enjoy connecting with my fellow journalists and sharing their best work.

Enjoy!

Power Up: The Year’s Best Reads

Journalists who write about religion pick their top story of 2023.

• Liam Adams, The Tennessean: Scott Sauls envisioned Christ Presbyterian as a city on a hill. Why it didn't last, published Nov. 27.

• Joy Ashford, Dallas Morning News: Dallas’ Cathedral Guadalupe to celebrate its national shrine status, published Dec. 10.

• Cheryl Mann Bacon, Christian Chronicle: One hurricane, two churches, published Sept. 22.

• Sarah Pulliam Bailey, New York Times: A $96 million Hindu temple opens amid accusations of forced labor, published Oct. 21.

• Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service: Women at the first March on Washington: a secretary, a future bishop and a marshal, published Aug. 17.

• Emily Belz, Christianity Today: The young Christian who took Johnson & Johnson to court, published July 5.

• Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post: Catholic group spent millions on app data that tracked gay priests, published March 9.

• Gregg Brekke, Broadview: How nuns are helping displaced Ukrainians amid the Russian invasion, published Aug. 9.

• Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: WWII re-enactments draw dozens in Nazi uniforms — and one Jewish educator working to make sure the Holocaust is remembered, published June 15.

• Michele Chabin, Religion News Service: Stung by anti-Israel protests and hate, many Jews are reasserting their identity, published Nov. 22.

• Calvin Cockrell, Christian Chronicle: ‘Somebody has to die for me to live,’ published June 15.

• David Crary, Associated Press: Some critics see Trump’s behavior as un-Christian. His conservative Christian backers see a hero, published July 21.

• Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News: The law that changed religious freedom forever, published Nov. 15.

• Robert Downen, Texas Tribune: Key supporter of Texas school chaplain bill has pushed for evangelism in schools, published May 19.

• Julia Duin, The Free Press: Fresh off a Supreme Court win, the praying coach takes the field, published Sept. 1.

• Aaron Earls, Lifeway Research: AI-powered preaching: How much should Silicon Valley impact sermon prep?, published Aug. 31.

• Mariam Fam, Associated Press: Morocco’s historic Women’s World Cup performance inspires girls even if some in Arab world ignore it, published Aug. 3.

• Greg Garrison, AL.com: United Methodist split: changing signs reflect upheaval, published Oct. 30.

• Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service: Vatican summit tackles women’s ordination with a nod from Pope Francis, published Oct. 23.

• Paul Glader, ReligionUnplugged.com: Oslo’s hidden gem: Exploring the Nordic Bible Museum, published July 18.

• Ruth Graham, New York Times: ‘Woodstock’ for Christians: Revival draws thousands to Kentucky town, published Feb. 23.

• Hamil R. Harris, Christian Chronicle: Maryland Pilots for Christ on a higher mission, published Oct. 30.

• Carla Hinton, The Oklahoman: 'Let them go': How St. Luke's survived efforts to thwart its United Methodist exit plans, published April 25.

• Luis Andres Henao, Associated Press: Rastafari gain sacramental rights to marijuana in Antigua and Barbuda, celebrate freedom of worship, published June 2.

• María Teresa Hernández, Associated Press: In Chile, justice eludes victims of Catholic clergy sex abuse years after the crisis exploded, published Sept. 19.

• BeLynn Hollers, Religion News Service: In rural Texas, spending taxpayer money on private schools is a hard sell, published April 25.

• Joseph Holmes, ReligionUnplugged.com: How the sexual revolution killed the Hollywood rom-com, published Nov. 6.

• Rebecca Hopkins, The Roys Report: Woman says IHOPKC founder Mike Bickle used prophecy to sexually abuse her, published Nov. 30.

• Audrey Jackson, Christian Chronicle: ‘If they go into full-time ministry, they’ll go back to poverty,’ published Jan. 23.

• Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service: How big Christian nationalism has come courting in North Idaho, published Feb. 22.

• Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times: How antisemitism came roaring back into American life, published Dec. 14.

• Louis Keene, The Forward: The college is Christian. Its point guard wears a yarmulke, published Feb. 2.

• Mark A. Kellner, Washington Times: Voice of reason: Senate chaplain part of ‘great conversation’ during 20 years on Capitol Hill, published June 27.

• Tamarra Kemsley, Salt Lake Tribune: Calyann Barnett is smashing the mold of a devout LDS woman — simply by being herself, published Jan. 22.

• Sam Kestenbaum, Montez Press Radio: ‘The Old-Time Cosmic Revival Hour,’ aired Oct. 25.

• Eric Killelea, Houston Chronicle: What it's like to lose your religion in Houston — and where you go next, published Dec. 8.

• Sophia Lee, Christianity Today: How one family’s faith survived three generations in the pulpit, published April 19.

• Clemente Lisi, ReligionUnplugged.com: 'Vatican Girl' disappearance continues to baffle 40 years later, published June 20; and ‘Miracle we got out alive’: Jews recall horror of Hamas attacks, published Oct. 14.

• Frank Lockwood, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: A fond farewell, then a sex case, published Dec. 17.

• G. Jeffrey MacDonald, LivingChurch.org: Lay preachers meet growing need, published Oct. 4.

• Terry Mattingly, Universal syndidate: Covenant pastor preached on death, grief and the tears of Jesus — weeks before the attack, published April 11.

• Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service: Adult egg hunts and kiddie pools full of gifts: Is Easter the new Christmas?, published April 7.

• Holly Meyer, Associated Press: How a South Dakota priest inspired 125 years of direct democracy — and the fight to preserve it, published Oct. 27.

• Chris Moody, ReligionUnplugged.com: Mark Driscoll’s safe space: How the embattled pastor built a new church, published Oct. 2.

• Richard Ostling, GetReligion.org: New probe of origins of Islam's Quran resembles 200 years of New Testament conflict, published March 28.

• Kathryn Post, Religion News Service: Queer bars offer sacred space for LGBTQ community, published Jan. 23.

• Harvest Prude, formerly with The Dispatch, now with Christianity Today: ‘The worst of our worst nightmares,’ published Oct. 12.

• Francis X. Rocca, Wall Street Journal: Our many Jesuses, published April 7.

• Arno Rosenfeld, The Forward: Did everyone miss an antisemitic campus murder?, published Feb. 15.

• Bobby Ross Jr. (hey, that’s me!), ReligionUnplugged.com: Jesus at the ballpark: Why MLB teams host faith nights, published Aug. 17.

• Julie Roys, The Roys Report: Analysis: Top 10 churches that participated in Hillsong Family’s ‘celebrity preacher’s scam,’ published April 6.

• Meagan Saliashvili, Religion News Service: Ukrainian Orthodox churches purge vestiges of Russian influence, published Aug. 18.

• Katie Collins Scott, National Catholic Reporter: Catholic clergy abuse survivors of color endure compounded trauma, published Sept. 12.

• Kate Shellnutt, Christianity Today: At McLean Bible, Mike Kelsey is reimagining the multiethnic church, published Nov 30.

• Daniel Silliman, Christianity Today: ‘No celebrities except Jesus’: How Asbury protected the revival, published Feb. 23.

• Bob Smietana, Religion News Service: For church worship teams, Auto-Tune covers a multitude of sins. Especially online, published June 22.

• Peter Smith, Associated Press: Grassroots faith leaders navigate a Northern Ireland in flux, published April 4.

• Peggy Fletcher Stack, Salt Lake Tribune: After 5 years under Russell Nelson, is the LDS Church healthier today than when he took charge?, published Jan. 15.

• Tiffany Stanley, Associated Press: In the U.S., Black survivors are nearly invisible in the Catholic clergy sexual abuse crisis, published Nov. 29.

• Jovan Tripkovic, ReligionUnplugged.com: NBA’s Jonathan Isaac and his mission: ‘Find identity in God rather than basketball,’ published Dec. 14.

• Erik Tryggestad, Christian Chronicle: A message for the hurting: ‘God’s eyes are upon you,’ published Feb. 22.

• Menachem Wecker, Jewish News Syndicate: ‘It’s clear to me now that I need to be much more careful,’ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tells JNS, published July 17.

• Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter: For a brief moment, Rod Dreher is a Pope Francis fan, published May 16.

• Deena Yellin, USA Today Network: Tired of hiding: Jews at U.S. colleges face rising antisemitism from left and right, published June 24.

• Gil Zohar, ReligionUnplugged.com: Israel releases grisly videos of Hamas massacre targeting Jews, published Oct. 24.

The Final Plug

The biggest religion news story of the year? It had to be my beloved Texas Rangers finally winning the World Series, right?

OK, maybe that’s not entirely a faith story, but I wrote a column about it anyway.

Next week we’ll do another special year-end Weekend Plug-in and highlight ReligionUnplugged.com’s most popular stories from 2023.

Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the holiday weekend.

Running now through Dec. 31, NewsMatch will match your donations up to $1,000. Your generosity will help keep Religion Unplugged going in 2024 and beyond. You can donate here.

Bobby Ross Jr. writes the Weekend Plug-in column for ReligionUnplugged.com and serves as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 18 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.